U.S. Attorney’s Office

Western District of Pennsylvania

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Violation of Federal Firearm Laws

PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a to a violation of federal firearms laws brought in connection with a large-scale investigation conducted by the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.

Jaimone Robinson, 21, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, before United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV. Mr. Robinson is one of 40 defendants charged in the Indictment and Superseding Indictment returned in the case.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on January 12, 2019, Robinson was arrested by City of Pittsburgh police officers following the seizure of approximately 3 grams of a fentanyl and heroin mixture and a Ruger pistol with an obliterated serial number from the vehicle he had been driving. Text messages retrieved from his seized cell phone established that Robinson had obtained the fentanyl/heroin mixture shortly before his arrest from his co-defendant, Christopher Highsmith, and that he intended to sell the drugs to other individuals.

Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for October 21, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than five (5) years and not more than life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United State Attorneys Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Allegheny County Adult Probation, Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Wilkinsburg Police Department. Other assisting agencies include the Green Tree Police Department, New York City Police Department, Mount Oliver Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Yonkers Police Department, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.

This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/pittsburgh-man-pleads-guilty-violation-federal-firearm-laws

U.S. Attorney’s Office

District of Maine

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Lewiston Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Conspiring to Cultivate and Distribute Marijuana

PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man was sentenced today in federal court in Portland for conspiring to manufacture 100 or more marijuana plants and to distribute 100 or more kilograms of marijuana, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.

U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Richard Daniels, aka “Stich,” 56, to six years in prison and five years of supervised release. Daniels was also fined $2,500. He pleaded guilty on November 21, 2019.

According to court records, between 2015 and February 27, 2018, Daniels was a member of an organization that cultivated marijuana at numerous locations in Androscoggin County and distributed bulk marijuana to people who were not participants in Maine’s Medical Marijuana program, including out-of-state customers. Daniels was an active participant in the conspiracy’s daily operations and personally supplied bulk quantities of marijuana to the conspiracy’s customers, including those from outside of Maine. In addition, Daniels processed marijuana into marijuana concentrate (“dabs”) which was also distributed illegally.

On February 27, 2018, law enforcement officers searched Daniels’ residence and an adjacent garage. During the search, agents seized approximately 119 kilograms of marijuana, 27 sheets of marijuana concentrate, and equipment used to manufacture marijuana concentrate.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/pr/lewiston-man-sentenced-six-years-prison-conspiring-cultivate-and-distribute-marijuana

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/pennsylvania-man-sentenced-role-drug-conspiracy

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Northern District of West Virginia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Pennsylvania man sentenced for role in drug conspiracy

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Zjaondezel Solomyn Douglas, of Zelionople, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 33 months of incarceration for his role in a cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl distribution operation, Acting U.S Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced.

Douglas, 37, pleaded guilty in January 2021 to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Cocaine Base.” Douglas admitted to working with another to distribute cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in August 2018 in Hancock County.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danae DeMasi-Lemon prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration; the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Marshall County Drug & Violent Crimes task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; The Ohio Valley Drug & Violent Crimes task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Jefferson County, Ohio, Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force; the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office; the Brooke County Sheriff’s Office; the Weirton Police Department; and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Police investigated.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.

Related case press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/ohio-west-virginia-and-pennsylvania-residents-indicted-drug-conspiracy-ohio-valley

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U.S. Attorney’s Office

Western District of Wisconsin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Indiana Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Producing Child Pornography

MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Adrian C. Gardiner, 42, Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William Conley to 25 years in federal prison for producing child pornography. This term of imprisonment will be followed by 30 years of supervised release. Gardiner pleaded guilty to this charge on March 25, 2021.

Gardiner drove from Hammond, Indiana to Cottage Grove, Wisconsin and sexually assaulted a 12-year-old child living there on numerous occasions in 2019, recording it at least two times. In addition to sexually assaulting the minor, he gave the minor alcohol and threatened the minor’s family.

Judge Conley called the defendant’s conduct “horrific” and noted that it caused harm not only to the victim, but to her entire family.

The charge against Gardiner was the result of an investigation conducted by the Cottage Grove Police Department, the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Indiana State Police. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwi/pr/indiana-man-sentenced-25-years-producing-child-pornography

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Southern District of Mississippi

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Enticement of a Minor Following Arrest in Marion County Human Trafficking Operation

Hattiesburg, Miss. - A Louisiana man pled guilty in federal court today to attempted enticement of a minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Jack P. Staton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.

During an operation being conducted by law enforcement in Marion County in December 2020, Brandon Brumfield, 24, of Greensburg, Louisiana, engaged with an undercover online chatter posing as a 14-year-old on the online dating website “Plenty of Fish.” While chatting, Brumfield expressed his desire to have sex with the 14-year-old and stated he would drive to Columbia, Mississippi, from Greensburg, Louisiana, to do so. Upon arrival in Columbia, Brumfield was arrested by law enforcement with condoms in his vehicle. Brumfield subsequently admitted to law enforcement that his intent was to have sex with a 14-year-old he had met on “Plenty of Fish.”

An indictment was filed against Brumfield on September 9, 2021. He pled guilty today and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 26, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Columbia Police Department investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdms/pr/louisiana-man-pleads-guilty-attempted-enticement-minor-following-arrest-marion-county

https://www.uscourts.gov/statistics-reports/wiretap-report-2019